SteinsGate -Shadow Time
by sgtSkirata
Summary: A year after LA, Makise returns to Japan for a long due visit with her friends and one excited mad scientist. Everyone has had time to remember the events of the other world lines, but more than just the future gadget lab have been making sense of their dreams. In a world where time travel is inevitable will Okabe be able to save his friends one more time? Only science will tell.
1. Chapter 1

_If anything is true in this world it's the fact that anything and everything is possible. While a goal might be unattainable in our world it has already happened in another. We can't look at the universe with a set of laws and theories that we observe because the universe is everything, our world and the others. If something is impossible here and possible there is it a law or a limitation? The universe is a sandbox, if you want to accomplish the insurmountable, you must merely ask yourselves. Somewhere sometime, you've already done it._

_Keragi Tasuba,  
The day before his and most his families murder._

* * *

**30 April, 2012 (Monday morning 8:00)- Tokyo central airport**

"CHRISTINA!" Kurisu Makise heard a loud man yelling annoyingly as she entered the welcoming ramp. She hadn't been able to sleep since leaving America at 5 AM and due to time zones it was practically the same time in Tokyo as it was when she left California 11 hours ago. She needed sleep and it was time to wake up for most of japan.

"CHRISTINA!"

"That's not my name..." she mumbled to herself too tired to yell at her friend about his stupid nick names.

"Maki-chan Maki-chan!"

"Hi Mayrui, how have you been?" She said using all the kindness she had left after her flight. She could never be rude to Mayuri but if anyone else pushed her right now they may not survive. "How's your morning been?"

"Mayushii has had a great morning! Okarin got his driver's license a while back and picked me up! Then we had breakfast with Feris-chan and he bought me this Upa doll. Tut-turu! Then we came here and he went on and on about how excited he was that Kurisu-chan was coming back and now you're here!"

'_So he can say my name behind my back but not to my face? I guess it's a start.' _Kurisu thought, about to pass out. "So how is everyone else…?"

"Mayuri what are you doing?!" the man yelled at the young woman.

"Saying hello to Kuri-chan…?" she responded somewhat guilty as if she had actually done something wrong.

"We have no idea if this is the real Christina! She never used the pass code! She could be some imposter sent by the Organization to thwart our lab's plans."

"El Psy Congroo and all that stuff," Kurisu responded without giving Okabe eye contact. "So Mayuri, do you want to stay with me tonight? It's been a while since I've been back in Japan and I wouldn't mind having someone with me for the day."

"Hahaha! Funny Christina but as my assistant you have obligations to lab. You will stay with me."

"No way, so Mayuri-chan, want to stay with me?"

"!" Okabe almost burst in anger by the way that he was completely blown off.

"Mayushii would love to sleep over! Tut-turu!"

"Then it's settled, I've already called a taxi. We can stop by your place on the way to the hotel."

"No need Christina the agency has already provided transportation." Okabe interrupted.

"No thanks…"

"!" Okabe stared at the ground embarrassed of himself as his friend and the girl of his dreams left him alone at the airport.

"No matter assistant! Report to the lab by 13:00!" Okabe proclaimed making a pose.

"No way, I'm going to bed. See you all at Faris' at 20:00. They have air conditioning." Kurisu replied coldly wanting nothing more but to fall asleep.

"…zombie…"

* * *

**30 April, 2012 (Monday morning 9:00)- Tokyo central airport**

"I feel guilty for leaving Okarin-kun…" Mayuri said quite sad as her and Kurisu sat in the back of their taxi driving through Tokyo's early morning busy streets. Kurisu, still tired, tried vigorously to stay awake.

"I'm sure he'll get over it. He should learn to be a little less crazy when welcoming a friend." Truth was Makise was actually happy to see him again. If she had been able to sleep on her way to Japan she might have even gone along with Rintarou's alternate reality.

"Okarin is weird but he really missed you. All year he has been waiting for you to come back. He keeps talking about the old days and while most of those memories are really fuzzy to Mayushii I know he really cares about you."

Kurisu could understand, Okabe did have a problem with accepting reality. How in the world he had gone so long in his life thinking that he was some kind of mad scientist secret agent completely puzzled even her mind. He had created his own little world to protect himself from both his and Mayuri's insecurities all the while bringing all his friends together in his little fantasy. "So your still 'remembering things' too?"

"Yeah, like dreams. Acctually Mayushii has nightmares a lot thinking about it." She did die countless times as Okabe tried to save her. He never gave up and eventually saved everyone. Something Kurisu was thankful of, but because of the science behind Mayuri's deaths it would probably be countless nights before she was done remembering. "But I'm fine really. Okarin has been waiting forever for the team to be back together. Don't be mad at him"

"Don't worry Mayuri, I know he cares." She said reassuring the pleading girl ", he just needs to grow up a little."

"Hehe so Kuri-chan likes them mature. That's not what Okarin told us about you." She added with a smile.

"Wait…what?! Ew not with that weirdo no!"

"But Okarin said that you two…"

"He's crazy Mayuri! No, we are not together and we did not kiss in LA!"

"Okarin didn't say anything about kissing in LA…" Mayuri responded quite confused.

"He didn't?"

"No just that you two both love evil science."

"Evil Science..?"

"I don't know but Okarin made it sound romantic…No, you didn't!" Mayuri yelled loud enough that she practically scared the taxi driver into an accident.

"Didn't what?!" Kurisu said scared by the girls outburst.

"You two did what in LA?!" she answered eyes filled with shock.

"We didn't do anything!" Kurisu said looking away trying to hide how nervous she was.

"You said you and Okarin kissed in LA! Did you did you did you?"

"Of course not," she stuttered still looking the other way ", I was just making an example of one of the outlandish things he would have said is all…"

"Oh my gosh, you did kiss! You did you did you did you did!" Mayuri yelled pointing at Kurisu as if she were guilty of lying in court.

"Mayushii has female's intuition remember. You two kissed and confessed your love in LA and were too embarrassed to tell us. You two are trying to hide it! Okarin is growing up and he's going to leave me behind." Mayuri began to cry realizing her friends were all getting older and that it was only a matter of time till they were 'too old' to be friends with a kid like her.

"No, Mayuri don't cry we'd never leave you. Plus Okabe-san and I are not…"

"You are in love, don't try to hide it, that makes Mayushii even sadder!" she screamed, angry that her friend would try to lie.

"Ok we like each other," _sheesh I forgot how innocent she was._ "But Okabe and I would never leave you or the others. It's just that we haven't had enough time together to know if we really mean anything yet."

Truth was they hadn't really been able to talk other than a few Skype meetings though the year. She'd been really busy with extra schooling and giving lectures herself. She wanted to talk more but it had always seemed that there was never enough time, or maybe that she was too afraid to make time. She liked Okabe a lot. Especially now that she could remember most of what had happened in other world lines. But were her feelings real or just emotions sparked from their past life or death situations?

"Then Golden week is the perfect time! Okarin and you could go on your first date! You can dress up, eat dinner and have Moe Moe with one another!"

"Huh? Moe moe with one another. What does that even mean?"

"Mayushii isn't sure but she thinks it's like moe but doing moe."

"Doing moe? Who taught you that?!"

"Daru-kun!" she happily said not understanding the perverted term her Otaku friend had told her.

"Mayuri-chan, promise me you won't repeat new weird things they tell you to say before coming to me about it first."

"Hehe got ya!"

"And one more thing…"

"What is it?"

"Don't talk bring up LA to the others, please."

"Nu-uh hehe!"

"What why?!"

"Only if you and Okarin go on a date!"

"But!"

"If you don't Mayushii is telling the entire future gadget lab about LA mwahahahaha!"

_She's been spending way too much time with Hououin Kyouma. _Kurisu thought.

"Ok," she sighed ", but in one condition. None of the others can know about it and Okabe musn't mention the Agency or the Organization."

"But those are his life."

"There a crutch to make friends Mayuri. He needs to learn that he doesn't need them. He has us."

"Well, if you put it that way it would be nice if Mayushii didn't have to be incognito all the time. It's a deal!"

"Uhg…so why did Okabe want me at the lab at 13:00 Mayuri?"

"Oh to throw a surprise party, but you turned it down"

"!" Kurisu felt guilty now ", was everyone gonna be there? I had no Idea!"

"Okarin has been planning it for months. He calls it Operation Zombie Hunt!"

"He still thinks I'm a Zombie? Never mind, text him and tell him we'll be there at one!"

"Righty oh captain! Tut-turu!"

* * *

**30 April, 2012 (Monday morning 9:30)- Secret Gadget Lab a.k.a. All that their money can buy**

"All hands on deck team! We have an operation to conduct and failure means certain death." Okabe shouted as he entered the 'lab'. Sloppy as ever but covered in welcome streamers.

"What is there to do dude," Itaru stated sitting in his computer chair. "We just wait for her to walk through the door and yell surprise. It's not world line theory."

"You miss the finer point!" Okabe yelled angry that no one seemed to understand the importance of his plan. "Operation Zombie Hunt cannot just be handled as some kind of event but as the beginning of a new age!"

"Um I'm sorry to poke around but what new age?" A very shy Ruka asked embarrassedly as he tried to hide his feminine discomfort in not having understood Okabe.

"Is it not obvious? Today the Future gadget lab returns to one hundred percent. From this day forth we will plan and accomplish our world take over, a world under one government led by me and my council. If you're all loyal I will consider having you appointed."

"Get a hold of yourself man," Itaru interrupted having had enough of Okabe's nonsense ", you know if you keep doing that alternate reality stuff you're going to scare Kurisu-chan away. You barely got her to stay the first time man. It's not every day that girls just come out of the blue saying '_Okabe you saved me in my dreams I had to find you'_."

"It wasn't a dream, it was real Super Hacka!"

"It's Hacker damn it!" Itaru yelled once again enraged by the common miss pronunciation he knew Okabe loved to over use as Ruka nervously coward, uncomfortable to be alone with the two men.

"And it wasn't a dream!" Okabe retaliated. "It was a complicated mesh of space time reality. The mind struggles to make memories were they do not exist and recover memories from which has already obtained them!"

"Where'd you hear that channel?"

"No some guy posted it on the Bioshock infinite forums. I can't wait for that game. What does it matter anyway?! What matters is that what happened back then is real!"

"I know I know," Itaru rebutled ", Girl Ruka, us getting shot to death, Mayuri dying a thousand times, Kurisu dying, Sern, time machine, Suzuha…"

"Wait you remember everything?!" Okabe shouted.

"Well we were all remembering that stuff over a year ago. It was only a matter of time until we remembered the rest."

"Ruka, you too?"

"Well…yeah. I, asked Daru-san about it and he helped me fill in the blanks."

"AND YOU REMEMBER SUZUHA?! Your entire future is at stake, now that you're in search of your future wife you could make a mistake and Suzuha will never..!"

"Calm down you loon, Suzuha never told me what my future wife looked like and on top of that I only met her because we were on the run from Sern. Now that we don't have that problem we might not ever see her. At least knowing what Suzuha looks like will help me find her mother."

"I never thought it through like that," Okabe noted realizing what bringing peace to the world had done to change their future ", WHA! You guys have known about the past this long and never told me! Ever think I might want to talk about that stuff."

"Frankly man, rather not, I would figure that most of us would like to leave that stuff behind. Just think about Ruka-san dude."

"Ruka..?" Okabe suddenly realized how hard those memories would be for someone like him to come to terms with. He was gifted with almost unparalled beuty, problem being he's a dude. A sleder body, a bright smile and a fradgile personality, but he's a dude. All he had ever wished for was to be what his body had tried so hard to copy but sadly, he was a dude.

In another world line he, had been a she, this was all thanks to the microwave time machine that had brought both pain and happiness. In order to save Mayuri's life, Ruka was forced to give up her gift and become a man once more. While the others only lost memories of good times, he had lost all he had wished for. "So you remember?"

"Yes…Okabe-sensei. But I don't regret my decision one bit!" He responded with a proud smile. "If I remember right I got to be a girl and even go on a date with you…well not that I feel that way as a guy…I mean…"

"It's fine Ruka-san. I was just worried you might be mad at me about other things."

"Like what?" Ruka asked slightly puzzled but oblivious. When Okabe had first traveled to that world line he hadn't known that Ruka's sex had actually changed. In anger that no one believed his insinuation of Ruka being a man he had done something rather Rash. _Best he doesn't remember then._

"Then if everyone remembers what happened in the other world lines with some degree then it suffices to say that I Hououin Kyouma and Christina are inseparable!"

"As if man," Itaru interrupted throwing the mad scientist off balance.

"But but, I saved her life and we confessed our undying love to one another and…"

"That was another world dude. The rules don't apply, if they did then you'd still owe me a date with Faris-chan."

"As if even I could accomplish such a feet."

"Exactly man, and that's why Kurisu doesn't have to stay with you. In that world you were going to leave and never come back and she thought she was gonna be erased from the universe dude. In this one she's scott free of all of that stuff. If you wanna catch her you're going to have to cut down on the Organization stuff. She's been in America for a year, those people cling to reality and don't even like Gundam let alone whatever world you came from. You need to calm the hell down and stop acting like your phone has service."

"You don't have to be so harsh, and excuse me if I decide to cut back on spending everymonth."

"_More like skip on bills every month…_"

"I heard that Daru! Urg where is everyone anyway?"

"Well for one doctor evil, 005 has work to downstairs today so we won't see much of her."

"Probably for the best, she's getting better but I still remember getting bit and shot at more than once by our little Shinning Finger, and it's nice to finally have someone to share that with. I would hate to see such a dark person's party side."

"Feris is working too so no go on her till later tonight."

"But but, 007 was supposed to accommodate supplies for the operation. An army without nourishment is doomed to defeat against even the most worthless of rabble!"

"Have you seen this place dude? I'm pretty sure we're the rabble and if you don't remember Feris has a reputation to uphold as a pop culture Icon in this town."

"Ruka-san, you're coming with me."

"But what about the party?" she stammered.

"Without fresh flesh there is no chance that we will capture our zombie target. We will have to use emergency lab funds!"

"Dude, there are no emergency funds."

"What the hell, what about the 75 hundred yen we had stored in the cabinet?!"

"We spent it on the Code Geass box sets remember."

"Those materials will work just fine in teaching future lab members how to conquer the world." Okabe added trying to make it seem that his anime purchase was worth the money. "Then it is settled, we will have to use future gadget #13, The ATM Deceiveanator! Mwahahahaha!"

"You mean your credit card?" Ruka added trying to be in the loop.

"No it is not a mere credit card!" Okabe argued as Ruka coward in fear about to cry.

"Dude lay off, and yes Ruka-san it's just his credit card. Chances are it's almost overcharged and it's his last option."

"Correction," Okabe retorted ", I simply didn't want to risk the organization finding our secret bank accounts…"

"Oh they'll find them alright and take your car away too."

"…Super Hacka!"

"Hacker!"

"Hacor…" Okabe responded with a smile and French accent earning a grumble from his annoyed friend. "Come Ruka-san. We have food to buy."

"If you don't mind Kyouma-san," Ruka shyly asked. "I need to stop by the shrine. My father called and asked if I could help him sort out the fortune telling's at the shrine before noon. I'll be back before the party."

"Operation!" he shouted before calming down. "Ok I'll go myself. What a shame that only I seem to care about the return our star pupil!"

Okabe stormed out the door and down the stair.

_All I want is for this to be perfect._ He thought, _I've barely talked to her this past year. If I don't do something now I might lose her forever. I…just need help._

* * *

**30 April, 2012 (Monday morning 11:00)- Junes shopping center**

"Gosh darn it," Okabe mumbled to himself as he roamed through the grocery store ", what good are lab assistants if they can't get food. The Agency needs to stop being cheap and send me some professionals."

He roamed through the isles angrily grabbing bags of chips, dipping sauce, microwavables, and packs of soda. "Ah Dr. Pepper, a drink for the intelligent…"

Okabe stood in wonder of his favorite drink until his eyes began to focus on the shelves behind it. Their stood the refrigerated stacks of beer, Mike's hard and Chuhai. He looked at the Dr. Pepper and then back at the Alcohol. Okabe had drunk a few times in his life; it was easy in Japan seeing as alcohol was in the vending machines at it was legal to drink on the streets. Though, he had never bought legally before. He was 20 as of last December so there would be no problem even if they carded him at checkout, a very uncommon thing in Japan.

"Hmm, I wonder if Kurisu drinks or if Mayuri would even take kindly to this stuff? She was always a little naïve. I know Daru drinks, hell, he's the one who got me into it. If Feris-chan appears later she'll be fine too, she serves the stuff at the café and I've heard more than once that she's a party animal. Hmm, it should be fine; a future ruler should know when to treat his peasants if he wishes to avoid revolt."

He smugly began to fill the cart with Alcohol before leaving Junes with a smile whistling _Every Day's Great at Your JUNES._

"Target leaving, do I pursue?" a sunglass wearing man with a long thin metal case asked through his cell phone as he watched Okabe get into his trashed vehicle.

"Yes but at a distance, the target has been classified as quite resourceful and even more paranoid. Do not allow him to think he is being followed." A female voice said through the cell phone.

"You sure this guy's a scientist? I mean he's driving an old yellow 2000 Toyota Cedric, looks more like a taxi driver to me.

"Don't underestimate him, there's a lot of paper work leading to this man. Don't let him out of your sight. The others will be with you later tonight."

"How about you?"

"I have matters to deal with regarding our precious cargo. You just focus on him."

"Will do," the man hung up and casually walked over to his motorcycle to follow Okabe. Before driving off he opened the case that had been strapped to his back.

"Mmhmm, the toys we get to use." The man smiled before locking the hidden sword back in its case and ridding off after Okabe.

* * *

**Thank you so much for reading, this is my second dedicated fanfiction and I hope to keep you around for one more adventure. I love to regularly keep up with my fanfictions so expect a chapter every week or two. **

**Also, I believe that writing is a contract between the writer and their readers. I want to here about what you have to say about the story and what you think should happen. Feel free to review and point out what needs to be fixed. More importantly suggest what you want. Any Review with a question in it will be answered down here in the latest chapter after the review was submitted.**

**Please review, follow and fav if you like what you read and want to see more. Trust me, there will be more so you out as well follow and hear when the next chapter come out. See you then.**


	2. Chapter 2

**30 April, 2012 (Monday 12:00 noon)- Kurisu's mind **

Kurisu found herself in a long white lecture hall waiting eagerly to listen to what she hopped might be the greatest finding known to mankind. The subject escaped her as hard as she tried to recal it but she knew that she was prepared. She had her notes, books, and everything that regarded her own findings and was ready so that she'd comprehend this great feat of science. All that she needed was for her professor to begin.

"First off thanks for coming today," A younger but arrogant voice said at the front of the room ", I appreciate it. It's only fair to warn you but I am a master at speaking publicly so you'll have to strap in and bear with my astonishing skills."

The audience began to clap for the arrogant man while Makise stared in anger having noticed the speaker to be Rintarou Okabe the king of all things not science.

"The subject I'd like to cover today is something you might consider a bit left-field of my previous and more prestigious work regarding mind control and zombie infection, but I'll try my best to sound semi-coherent. That subject being that all of humanity shares a set of brain waves that connects their minds through one single network. A network I like to call Brainbook."

_Excuse me?! What the hell is he talking about? Sure brains might have some sort of minor telepathically abilities but a social media network!_

"Personally my opinion regarding the subject is that it is just as real as the boogie man. A subject some would find quit dull but a theory any physicist would consider perfectly…"

"Objection!" Kurisu yelled earning the annoyed look of the audience but merely a smirk from their professor.

"Excuse me young Ace Attorney?" Okabe asked continuing with his smug expression.

"As real as the boogieman?! Your and an evident skeptic, please!"

"Haha, foundations in essentially every branch of physics agrees, I'm not a lone nut but the speaker of truth!"

"Prey continue then, I studied nero-science. I think I'd know about '_Mindspace'."_

"Brainbook!"

"Whatever."

"Alright then fine, you're so keen? Let's do this open forum. Wouldn't want the conversation hijacked by entrenched naysayers now would we? Agreed, Christina?!" he said making a self-praising pose at the podium.

Makise smirked ignoring the use of her most hated nick name thinking she had this in the bag before the man continued to speak.

"First we will regard String theory!" he proclaimed.

"That's time travel!" She corrected.

"But of course. Imagine bouncing around time in a blue police box, is that not romantic. Since time can only go forward but is actually a two dimensional not 1D measurement, we are able to conclude that everything is in fact just a single object!"

"How the hell does that make any…"

"Through that object, AKA the universe, waves travel that we already know about. Due to everything being a single item it is safe to say that our minds, radio's, phones and even 'The Force' are entangled in the same network, Chris-tin-a." He added accenting the name.

"But..!"

"Moving on to the network itself our minds and computers alike are simply floating electrons computing mass amounts of data through transfer. Since all the computing power of digital devices and organic minds alike are but a single object then whenever a force or wave is transferred then the entire universe feels it as well. Right Chris-tin-a?"

"No because the universe is not just one big bowl of soup you idiot!"

"I don't know about that have you looked out the window lately," Makise turned towards the window to see a sea of alphabet soup spelling as the audience looked at her shocked that she didn't know they lived in a can of Campbell's soup.

"To continue, everyone's mind is constantly uploading to Brainbook, but of course without installing the correct app one would not be able to log in. To do so I want everyone to open their iBrains like so." Okabe pushed a button on the back of his neck causing his forehead to open up revealing a touchscreen and antenna. A sight that horrified poor Makise to screams when suddenly everyone in the lecture room followed suit.

"WHAA?!"

"Now that everyone is on their i-Brains I would like everyone to please direct yourself to the Pinnapple app store and get the free Brainbook app and log in like so." Okabe touched the icon for the app on his forehead touchscreen. He became silent for a moment earning the horridly fearful eyes of Makise as the others entered the same state. Then IT happened."

"DWAAAAAAAA!" Okabe continued to yell in a low tone as energy shot out of his mouth and towards the antennas of the students.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?" Makise began to cry.

"He's conducting the Quickening…" a student said scaring Kurisu out of her chair before he and the rest of the class began to join in. "DWAAAAAAAA!"

"DWAAAAAAAA!"

"DWAAAAAAAA!"

"DWAAAAAAAA!"

Makise didn't know what else to do but try and run from the monstrocity okabe had started. She ran for the door only to see Okabe blocking her path as the rest of the students got up and surrounded her still chanting.

"CHRISTINA!" Okabe said in a possessed voice ", JOIN MY BRAINBOOK EVENT, MAKISE GETS BRAIN BOOK !"

"No! you're all crazy I would never..!" just then a student who had snuck behind her pressed a button on her neck revealing her i-Brain.

Okabe grabbed her looking her in the eyes like a mad scientist ", WE WILL BE BRAINBOOK FRIENDS, DWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

"NO!" Kursiu screamed jumping out of bed and scaring Mayuri behind the hotel room couch.

"AHHH! What's wrong?! Mayushii doesn't want to die!" she screamed taking cover.

Kurisu looked around trying to calm herself; rushing for the window to make sure the world was not a can of soup and then checking the back of her neck for an i-Brain button. "Thank goodness…"

"Kuri-chan is it safe?"

"Wha…oh I'm so sorry Mayuri-chan!" she exclaimed running to the young girl to comfort her. I was just having a nightmare. I must have been really messed up from all the flying."

"That must have been one bad dream." Mayuri replied still nervous that she might be in danger ", sometimes Mayushii doesn't live to see the end of her dreams but I don't ever scream like that."

Makise noted the comment on her dreams feeling bad for Mayuri. Makise had remembered dying a few times in her dreams, or rather memories. The difference that in most of the worldliness Okabe had brought them too Mayuri was the one who died not her. She had probably remembered all the death she had experienced by now but the sheer amount of dreams Mayuri was having about death just showed how many times Okabe had tried to save her.

Now Makise couldn't shake the idea of watching a friend die hundreds of times. He might be a mad man, but Okabe had to be strong to put up with that time and time again.

"Mayuri?"

"Yes?"

"Do you know your dreams are...real?"

"Yeah," she said drifting into her own little world ", but I don't mind. Along with all the bad memories they bring, they also bring happy ones of all of us. Like parties and helping everyone, Ruka getting to be a girl, Feris getting to live with her father. If I hadn't died a few times then none of those memories would be true. Plus, dying was never scary, almost every time I wasn't alone. Okarin was always there."

"I remember, of the times he told me he always tried to be with you to help you pass. The only times he wasn't there were when he knew for certain doing something would change our world line."

"Okarin is really special, sometimes too special, but he cares about us." Mayuri replied questioning if Kurisu sometimes forgot.

"I know, he loves us..."

"Daru told me you love him too!"

"Wait, what?! Whims he to talk about my love life! How would he know?!"

"He said in one world line you rushed from the airport to tell Okabe you loved him before he time traveled! Right before he was forced into a world without you."

"But...but, that was a different me!"

"You did say it, you did!"

"So!"

"Why are you so mean to him?!" Mayuri argued.

"Why does he have to be so weird?!"

"Because he doesn't know how to handle personal stuff! Kuri-chan, he went through hell for us!"

"I know," Kurisu answered starting to feel a little bad for shooing Okabe off at the airport.

"All Mayushii is trying to say is that you both like one another. If the man I liked almost died trying to save me I would think it was a done deal. Slap me in a dress, throw me in the alter and I don't even need a ring..!"

"Wo there Mayuri, too fast, but I understand."

"Good cuz you two do have that date coming up!"

"I remember," Kurisu sighed as Mayuri tut~turued in joy.

**Outside the "lab"**

"Iori checking in," a man with a goatee and baseball hat said, down the street from where Okabe had parked.

"What do you have to report?" a female voice asked him over the phone.

"Ok you sure this is our guy?"

"Why do you say that?" the woman on the other end of the call sighed.

"He's so damn normal! Sure he wears a lab coat but this lameo is pathetic!"

"Iori you can't blow this job off he's…"

"OMG look at his home! It's not even an apartment; it's just the upstairs to a stupid old Braun Tube shop. Who buy's CRT's anyway?!"

"Don't let him out of your site Iori!" The woman was angry now.

"Why! Or he might get away in his superfast time travel mobile?!"

"Just because he lives in a run-down place doesn't mean he's not intelligent. I believe I found you wallowing in a in a shack and working at Wild Duck Burger when I asked you to enlist."

"That was just because I was waiting for my friends to remember me!"

"Yes, I didn't want to say it but you owe a lot to your friends. You're good at what you're told to do but your horrible with money and without me you wouldn't make it far."

"Wow Senpai, that's a little harsh I mean we have been through a lot together."

"And apparently so has Okabe and his friends. Iori I'm only asking one thing of you and it's to baby sit him. Don't mess this up."

"I know I know I know, uhg." Iori sighed looking at the case that contained his sword. "What am I waiting for anyway?"

"Anything that might harm Okabe or the others. It's an important week for our associates and our enemies might take advantage of how busy we are. We're spread thin and we need to…"

"I'm sorry, can we talk later?"

"What now?"

"This girl is starting at me like I'm some kind of Zombie and I'd rather talk later."

"You don't think she's dangerous do you?"

"What the hell Mitsuru it's the middle of stupid town no one dangerous lives here, bye!" Iori shouted before hanging up.

_That woman is so ridiculous sometimes._ He thought before noticing the girl was still staring at him. She wasn't far away either. She was awkwardly close having sat on a bench just behind his motorcycle. "Hey kid what's up?"

"Not very nice to call someone a kid. How old are you anyway?"

"Well I'm Nineteen!" Iori said jumping offended ", so what?!"

"Well I'm eighteen. I don't go around calling seventeen year olds 'kid', don't you think it's kind of rude?"

"Says the girl staring at me like I'm some kind of circus freak!"

"I've just been trying to figure out why someone with such an expensive motor cycle and a fancy sword would be out here." She added smugly as Iori freaked out.

"What, how? I don't have a sword!" he retaliated.

"Ok then what's in the box?" the brown haired girl asked, getting up to get a closer look at it.

"Hey you better watch out brat. What if it is a sword? I'll make short work of you."

"Please as if, and I'm not brat I'm a soldier." She said barely taking any offence having noticed the man was too immature to mean half the things he said. "By the way if you're supposed to be undercover you're doing horribly. Now you have this girl who thinks your weird, knows you have a sword and knows your leader's name. Mitsuru was it?"

"NO!" Iori denied as if he was accused of sleeping with the light on. Then again the later was the truth.

"Look we're here for the same thing so at least do a better job ok."

"Wait, same job?"

"We have to watch and protect Okabe-san from evil and WE will if you can learn how to be a better spy."

Iori grumbled in anger having been found out so easily. "What's your name, kid?"

"Suzuha Amane, combat and time travel expert. Glad to meet you Junpei Iori!"

**30 April, 2012 (Monday 12:45 noon)- Outside Mr. Braun's **

"Hey what the hell are you doing Okabe!" Yelled the bald CRT loving man as he saw Okabe park in front of his shop. "How many times have I told you this is a no parking zone? I should have your car toed!"

"Haha you can try Mr. Braun but the Agency would simply have it returned to me. As for you, they would have you punished for getting in the way of my directive! And it's _Hououin Kyouma_"

"Damn nut case! What's in all those bags of yours anyways?" Yuugo Tennouji asked staring at Okabe's grocery bags.

"Lab supplies, peon."

"Hey you watch it asshole if you don't want to end up on the street." Yuugo argued as Okabe struggled up the stairs with his groceries.

"That would be unwise. When I conquer the world I will punish those who stood in my way and you will be the first!"

"I'm serious, you better not start shit around my daughter!" Okabe ignored Mr. Tennouji as he made his way up the stairs trying his best not to drop any of his prized groceries.

"Do you need help?" a quiet voice asked behind Okabe scaring him to death.

"Jesus!" he spun around to see Moeka staring at the ground shy as usual. "Shining Finger you cannot just sneak up on a man like that without warning! Especially not with your frightening presence!"

"Frightening?" she repeated continuing to look at the ground in shame.

"It's nothing, forget I said anything." Okabe remembered that in this world line she was not the crazed FB follower that had killed Mayuri, but the shy woman who sought refuge in her newly acquainted friends. He had made it an early priority of his to help her with her problems but couldn't shake the memories he had experienced in so many world lines.

"I know what you meant…I remember." She said smiling trying to reassure him that she meant no harm. "I was stupid."

So everyone had in fact remembered their "past". Okabe looked at her shocked but realized it was unjust of him to distance her. That was all another world line. "I forgive you; I can't totally blame you since that was another you. Just, don't be so sneaky."

"I won't."

He sighed in disbelief ", are you free?"

"Mr. Braun let me off to be with you guys tonight. He said things were…slow."

"Of course they are. Running such an antique shop is futile. He has no right imposing slave labor on my subjects."

"I like it, and he's actually really nice…when you don't push the wrong buttons."

"Two years ago pushing buttons was all you did," Okabe remarked regarding the lessened use of her cell phone "; you've come a far way. Quite impressive what affect my personality has on people."

She stood silent unwilling to admit it but more worried that doing so would boost his already to strong ego. "Do you need help, that's a lot of bags?"

"As one of my assistants it is your duty to help!" Okabe shouted having lost most his strength making his way up the stairs.

"I carry things for work all day…You don't have to be so rude."

"So 'Silent Finger' has developed an attitude now! Tell me do you want to die?" He argued having become a little too comfortable with Moeka.

"You know, in this world I didn't do much…but in others I was quite dangerous. You sure you want to threaten me now that I have my memories back?"

"!" Okabe suddenly realized who he was fooling with and the risk he was in.

"I was joking…" she said earning an immediate sigh of relief from Okabe. "But you are rude. Now let me have some of those bags."

She took a few bags and couldn't help but notice the contents.

"What kind of party is this?" she asked with a demanding stare.

"It's not a party but an operation, Operation Zombie Hunt!"

"If we're hunting zombies then wouldn't fresh meat have been more logical."

"Our target is no normal zombie but a creature obsessed with the most intellectual facets of science. More than flesh will be needed to catch her."

"You mean you wish to get Makise-san drunk?" She said giving Okabe an evil stare before looking at the ground in shame and continuing to the lab. "I thought more of you Okabe-san."

"It's Hououin Kyouma_!"_

**Meanwhile Inside**

"Uh, Daru-san?" Ruka asked the computer entranced man as he surfed the web for Moe merchandise.

"Yeah man, what's up?"

"Does, Kyouma-san have a thing going on for Makise-san?"

"For gosh sake, stop calling him that!"

"I'm sorry!" he said retreating into a defensive form.

"He needs to grow up and you're not helping, calling him that sheesh. Now, what was that again?"

"Does Kyom…"

"Urg," Daru growled having heard the start of that unspeakably annoying name.

"Does Okarin-san like Makise?" he stuttered.

"Dude, those two are in love with one another. Did you hear me at all earlier when I was yelling at him?"

"No, I was trying too hard not to get yelled at."

"Ok this comes first, you let people walk all over you man, especially 'Hououin Kyouma'. You need to stand up for yourself and stop fearing that jerk. And yes, they love each other."

"Love!"

"You said you remember other world lines right?"

"Kinda, the concept seems complicated to me."

"Ok, well in one world line, before he came here to ours, a Kurisu confessed her love to Okabe."

"A Kurisu? There's more than one?"

"That's how it works man, you need a time machine to time travel your body. We were just sending Okabe's memories into other world lines with that microwave. Because he's '_gifted by Steins;Gate'_ or some shit that is practically like teleporting him across worlds."

"What happens to his body when he leaves?"

"Hell if I know. We only have memories from world lines he's been to. Plus it's all a little crazy to me still."

"What was that About Makise again?"

"Oh right, she knew he was going to a world without her to save Mayuri, we talked about this."

"But you never mentioned the love part!"

"Because Okabe gets touchy when I talk about Makise. He's a protective nut, then again it takes one to go back in time thousands of times."

"Does Makise still love him?"

"Well it was another world line," Daru finally turned around and focused on the conversation instead of the internet realizing this was becoming a serious conversation. "Why, do you?"

"What?! I I…"

"When you were a girl you had fallen in love with Okabe. Do you still love him?"

"Well…it doesn't matter right. That was a different world…"

"But you have the memories right?"

"Yes…"

"Then how do you feel?"

Ruka thought to himself trying to sort out what he thought and what 'she' thought. Truth was he still loved him but had come to terms with the fact that Okabe and he didn't have that kind of future together. It was sad but but having the memories back made him wish to be a girl again, something he'd thought he'd gotten over. "I know it won't happen."

"Then if that's the case you know how Makise-san must feel."

"knock knock knock, El psy Congroo." Knocked and whispered an annoyingly secretive voice outside."

"Errr, just open the door you moron! This is your own place!" Daru yelled frustratedly having had enough.

Okabe kicked open the door barging in with anger ", If no one had responded to the pass code any number of things could have happened. The organization could have been waiting in here for me or dare I say the rounders! I would never take that risk!"

"Dude shut up!" Daru was on his last few straws ", the organization doesn't exist man and even if it did they would want nothing to do with a loon who lives in the attic of an old TV store!"

"Rounders then!" Okabe defended himself.

"They don't exist! They're gone, you got rid of them hell one of them is here with you! Hi Moeka." Daru said with a smile.

"Hello," she chimed returning the smile with her own and a wave to Ruka who was happy in return.

"It doesn't matter if Moeka is fine! What about the others?" Okabe shouted. "Don't even get me started on Mister FB Braun downstairs. He's the one who caused all the shit, Uhg. Regardless I have brought the operation supplies."

"Anything good?" Daru asked sitting back in his chair still annoyed.

"Well if you'd helped put it all away then maybe you'd find out what I got!" Daru just continued doing whatever he was doing on the computer. "Fine, it'll be a mystery to you then. Shining Finger give me assistance putting this all in the fridge."

"No." she said sitting next to Ruka and looking at the magazines that Mayuri had left behind.

"What?! But it is your duty!"

"My duty ended when I clocked out for the day." She mumbled.

"Uhg, Ruka then it is you who must pick up the slack."

"Ok…uh, well." He rethought what to do when Daru turned around and looked at him giving him a ',_ what did we just talk about,'_ look. "I…need to use the restroom."

"Fine! I'll do all the work."

"Knocky Knocky, El psy Congroo, Tut~turu! We're here!" Okabe quickly opened the fridge and threw the bags in to hide the contents.

"Hi everyone," Makise entered, happiness written all over her face as everyone but Okabe jumped to welcome her back to Japan. He was too busy trying to close the fridge.

"Makise-san thank goodness!" Daru yelled ", you've finally come to save me!"

"Haha from what?"

"That!" he shouted pointing at Okabe.

"What is that supposed to mean? Who lets you live another day, lets you stay in this lab and includes you in all his rewards?" Okabe argued.

"Mr. Braun actually," he said smugly.

"Heretic!"

"It's nice to see you too Okabe," Makise said with a smile.

Okabe stunned by seeing her happy again for the first time in a year in person couldn't find words. In the end his sadly in love mind could come up with one thing ",you better be."

"Oh that's how we're gonna play it?" she remarked having lost her joyful expression and replacing it with the usual look of having been annoyed that Okabe was far too used to. Not just from her but from practically anyone he talked to.

"We are not playing anything Christina. This isn't the SIMS but the real world!"

"Oh for Christ sake stop calling me that and even in the SIMS you're a maniac!"

"Glad to see things are back to normal," Mayuri said earning a smile from Daru.

"I know. The Tsundere and the Mental Case are at it again," Daru sighed.

"I'm a mental genius!"

"I'm not a Tsundere!" the two argued bringing a nostalgic tear to everyone's eye despite never actually having seen much of this kind of argument in this world.

**Ok sorry for not writing another chapter in ever. I have another fanfiction that had recently required a lot of time. Now that I have had time to think about the course of this one I'll be able to crack out a few good chapters. Again thanks for reading and please review your thoughts. See Y'all soon lab mates!**


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